State of Louisiana Archives: on Crime

John Bel Edwards:
Reduce incarceration rate of non-violent offenders

I'm asking that we work together to make Louisiana smart on crime. What we're doing now is not working for our state.

Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the country, and we lock people up at a rate of nearly twice the national average.
But our crime rates are comparable to other southern states. As elected officials, we have an obligation to acknowledge when an aspect of our government is broken and we must work together to find a solution.

In 2015, we made a commitment to re-
If adopted into law, this package will safely reduce our prison population by 13%, and it will save taxpayers over $300 million over the next decade.

Source: 2017 Louisiana State of the State address
Apr 10, 2017

Clay Higgins:
Resounding voice for the Thin Blue Line

Our nation has come to be divided along lines that were long ago erased, including racial divide. I have been a street cop for 13 years and my own relationship amongst the black communities that I've served reflects my strong belief in Constitutionally
sound, compassionate police service. Somehow, we have allowed our citizenry to become influenced by insidious forces which endeavor to divide us whereby we may be controlled. This unfounded manifestation of hatred must be tackled from all sides by
Patriot Americans of every color and creed. We must meet this hatred wherever it surfaces with a stern, unwavering and unified voice of reason. We need not tolerate such hatred and division in our country.
We need not allow the planting of such a seed. We must stand shoulder to shoulder, brother to brother, Patriots all, united as one, against this evil. In Congress, I will be a resounding voice for the Thin Blue Line.

Clay Higgins:
Penitentiaries should be for PENITENCE, not punishment

The original Christian pilgrims reflected on the world's history of human incarceration and saw it as a poor reflection of their own Christian beliefs of compassion, forgiveness, and redemption. They knew that incarceration throughout history equaled
one thing: A dungeon.

Our founding Christian pilgrims determined that a convicted man would be housed in a clean, secure place, treated with respect as a fellow child of God, provided basic food and water and encouraged to seek PENITENCE.
This is why our jail system in America is called the PENITENTIARY SYSTEM. Our jails were never supposed to be about punishment. They were always designed to offer penitence. Because a penitent man punishes himself, does he not?

I speak across
America to law enforcement gatherings, and almost NOBODY knows this story. We have strayed SO FAR from the original intent of our beautifully envisioned Penitentiary system that the Americans who manage the system don't even know of its origin.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards called for a federal civil rights investigation into the latest fatal police shooting of a black man in the United States. But [two months prior], Edwards signed a bill into law that makes targeting a police officer a
hate crime. Passage of such bills at the state level is a top priority for a national organization called Blue Lives Matter, which was formed in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

[Two Louisiana shootings were captured on video, on
which] "police killed a black man who was minding his own business," says the director of ACLU-LA. But it was the civil rights of police officers that Edwards was concerned about in May, as if theirs were being routinely violated.

The new law places police officers, firefighters, and EMTs under protection from hate crimes: A defendant convicted of a felony could get an extra five years in prison with hard labor and a $5,000 fine.

Source: The Intercept interview of ACLU-Louisiana staff
Jul 7, 2016

John Bel Edwards:
End tax giveaways but keep funding for first responders

Edwards opposes a bill that would reduce police & fireman pay: "I will not support a reduction in the supplemental pay for the first responders who put their lives on the line everyday for our public safety," Edwards said. "We are not going to cut our
way to prosperity or to safer communities."

Edwards said he's not against more flexibility in the budgeting process, but that "more flexibility alone won't fix the structural problems in our budget that have led to the sweeping of these dedicated funds
by Bobby Jindal, and the drastic cuts he has made to higher education and healthcare."

As to solutions to the current budget conundrum, Edwards pointed to a recent study that examined the question of whether all of the current
$7 billion in annual tax giveaways are productive for the state's economy. "It is time to invest in our people. We can start by reducing or eliminating the parts of tax giveaways that just aren't producing what they promised," said Edwards.

David Vitter:
More community crime tips; more DNA testing; more options

As our governor, David will:

Explore all short-term options to arrest the crime wave in New Orleans which threatens statewide tourism and job growth.

Develop effective crime-fighting strategies like greatly increasing rewards for tips from the
community.

Implement best practices from other states to expand GED and skills training opportunities in prison, and cost-effective work release and monitoring programs.

Require inmates to craft post-release plans that outline potential employment
along with help from family, churches, and others that they will pursue immediately upon release, and tie any paroles to strict adherence to these plans.

Focus and target resources on mental health evaluation and treatment so that we get effective
help to persons with these disorders, reduce recidivism, and prevent them from clogging the criminal justice system.

Prioritize testing all DNA evidence at Louisiana crime labs to ensure rapists and other violent criminals are caught immediately

David Vitter:
Keep state police presence in New Orleans' French Quarter

Three gubernatorial candidates said the extra Louisiana State Police presence in the French Quarter should probably not remain in New Orleans "indefinitely"--and will eventually have to be withdrawn. Vitter broke with the rest of the pack, saying the
Louisiana State Police should have a permanent detail in the French Quarter. He doesn't have confidence that Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the New Orleans Police Department would be able keep a lid on crime without the extra help.

"Violent crime is out of
control in the city of New Orleans and the top reason is lack of leadership in the city of New Orleans," he said. Vitter went on to say New Orleans police had deteriorated and been mismanaged under Landrieu. Unless there was a leadership change in the
city, the state would have to step up with extra resources. "I think his lack of leadership has let NOPD get to this point," said Vitter. "We are going to have to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, that's not going to turn a corner immediately."

Three of the four Louisiana gubernatorial candidates said the extra Louisiana State Police presence in the French Quarter should probably not remain in New Orleans "indefinitely"--and will eventually have to be withdrawn.

Edwards was the most emphatic
about establishing a timeline for state police withdrawal. Dardenne and Angelle were a bit more speculative about when the troopers should be pulled out of New Orleans.

"I am convinced that this is the appropriate solution for now," said
Dardenne. "I don't know that it is going to go on indefinitely

Still, U.S. Sen David Vitter broke with the rest of the pack, saying the Louisiana State Police should have a permanent detail in the French Quarter.
He doesn't have confidence that Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the New Orleans Police Department would be able keep a lid on crime without the extra help.

Three of the four Louisiana gubernatorial candidates said the extra Louisiana State Police presence in the French Quarter should probably not remain in New Orleans "indefinitely"--and will eventually have to be withdrawn.

"No great city is going
to be great for long if it doesn't have the adequate ability to police itself," said state Rep. John Bel Edwards, the only Democratic candidate running for governor.

Edwards, Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle and Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne agreed the extra state troopers in the French Quarter are needed now. But New Orleans should probably provide the additional law enforcement itself eventually.
Edwards was the most emphatic about establishing a timeline for state police withdrawal. Dardenne and Angelle were a bit more speculative about when the troopers should be pulled out of New Orleans.

Bobby Jindal:
Crack down on the horrific crime of human sex trafficking

We're committed to working with legislators to continue to crack down on the horrific crime of human trafficking. Each year, hundreds of thousands of women and children around the world become victims of a global sex trade.
Victims are forced to sell these services by means of physical abuse, threats, lies, manipulation, and false promises for things like education or a place to stay.

This isn't a crime that is just happening in some faraway place. As we've seen from investigations by Louisiana State Police recently, it's happening here in Baton Rouge and across our state.

That's why we'll propose a legislative package to prosecute criminals to the fullest extent of the law, and protect the vulnerable and often forgotten victims of these terrible crimes.

Source: 2014 State of the State address to the Louisiana legislature
Mar 10, 2014

The above quotations are from State of Louisiana Politicians: Archives.